Frozen Heart
by fantasylands
Summary: (Hanna) A retelling of Frozen using concepts deleted from the film. Admiral Hans Westergaard arrives in Arendelle for a coronation, meets a princess, and gets much, much more than he expected.
1. Chapter 1

Princess Anna screwed up her face and squeezed her eyes shut. Light filled her bedroom, streaming in through the picture window and winding its way across her face to peep into her eyelids. She gave a groan and rolled over, twisting the light pink bedspread around with her. Surely the day could wait one more... Two more... Three more hours. Ducking her head under the blanket, Anna sighed contentedly, having blocked out both the blinding sunshine and the birds twittering outside in the courtyard below. A trickle of drool glistened in one corner of her mouth.

A sharp tap on the door suddenly came, and Anna bolted upright. A muffled voice came through from the opposite side.

"Princess Anna?"

It was Kai, head manservant of Arendelle Castle. Anna had known most of the servants since she was born, and Kai was no exception.

Anna pulled a bit of strawberry hair out of her mouth and managed a "Huh, yeah?"

"Sorry to wake you, ma'am," Kai apologized, "But-"

"No, you didn't," Anna yawned, "I've been up for... Hours..."

Her voice dropped off as sleep dragged her back into its clutches. Her head drooped a little and she startled herself awake.

"Who is it?!" She called.

Kai stifled a laugh. He had woken the princess countless times before, and this time was no different. "Still me, ma'am. Time to get ready!"

Anna's bleary mind searched for a reason, but she could come up with nothing; no purpose for getting out of bed on this wonderfully sleepy day.

"Ready for what...?"

The manservant behind the door decided that she must be kidding. Surely she hadn't actually forgotten...?

"Your sister's coronation?" He offered.

"My sister's... Corneration." She repeated.

Anna lazily opened one eye and caught sight of the beautiful gown displayed on a dress form at the foot of her bed. All too quickly, the significance of the day came flooding back to her.

"Coronation Day!"

She threw back the covers and leaped out of bed, bolting across the room. She grabbed the dress form and span it around in excitement. She stripped it of its clothing and tossed the dress on the bed, freeing herslf from her nightdress as swiftly as she could. Pop! A tiny green button rolled across the floor and came to rest near her bed. Oops! Anna picked up the button and placed it on top of the nightstand. Gerda or someone would take care of it. Not the first time Anna had wrecked an article of clothing, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

The gown was green, just like her nightdress. Anna had always had a fondness for green. Maybe because it reminded her of spring; a representation of new beginnings, just like today: Coronation Day. Anna's only sibling, Elsa, was to become Arendelle's new queen. There was to be a formal ceremony held in the chapel, followed by a whole day of celebrating. Anna, as second princess, was, of course, required to attend the ceremony, but she was most excited about just one thing: the castle gates would finally be open.

As long as she could remember, Arendelle Castle had been locked up tighter than a prison, and Anna had never known why. Was it keeping something out? Or was it keeping something in? She sometimes felt like a prisoner in her own home. Maybe it was the second one. All her life, Anna had dreamed of seeing the outside world, and today, finally, the gates that had been shut tight would open. She was happy for her sister, too, of course, but her relationship with Elsa had always been... Strained.

Well, maybe not always. Anna could remember happier times. When they were both very young, she and Elsa had been the best of friends. Then, one day, Elsa locked herself in her room and almost never came out. Anna had seen her just three times this year; a far cry from the six instances of last year. Apart from their time together as children, Anna knew almost nothing about her sister. And it was a very lonely life. Their parents were lost at sea when the two of them had just entered their teenaged years, leaving Elsa as Anna's only family. She could remember countless times she had tried knocking on her sister's door, begging her to let her in.

Anna shook the thoughts from her mind. Today was different. Today was going to change everything. She finished dressing and ran to her vanity to do something about her hair. She shoved three hairpins into her mouth and began brushing, braiding, tying, pinning.

And... Done! She jumped into her shoes and burst through the door, hair ribbons flying fast behind her. She grabbed a nearby unwitting maid and swung her around, shouting for joy.

"It's Coronation Day!"


	2. Chapter 2

I'm surely lost. I truly am, the man thought to himself. He reined in his horse and gave him a reassuring pat on the neck before surveying his surroundings. How could he not be able to find a castle? A _castle_? Turning his steed around, he glowered at the pointed roofs, teasing him from the distance. Oh, sure, he could see Arendelle Castle all right, but he'd be damned if he could actually _find his way to it_. Navigating a town was nothing like navigating on the open sea. If the castle had been an island, he'd have been there in an instant. Everything was easier out there. No obstructions, no buildings, just twin blue expanses, and sometimes some glittering stars. He was at home when he was at sea. It was more of a home than his true home had ever been; the youngest of a slew of children; he was always left out, pushed aside, forgotten. But nothing stood in his way on the ocean. Not his family, not anything.

The man shifted his gaze back to the fjord the town was settled upon. Perhaps he'd just return to the docks where his ship was moored and start from there. He and his stallion began to gallop towards the water when-

CRASH!

A flash of green suddenly came at him from his left. He yanked the reins back, but still managed to send the poor thing sailing across the dock, right into a rowboat. Thinking quickly, he instructed his horse to follow after and anchor the boat onto the dock by stepping into it, effectively saving what he now saw was a young woman.

"Hey!" The woman groaned, lifting a piece of seaweed off of her face to glare up at him.

He panicked. The man leapt to the ground and rushed to her aid, barely getting out an apology.

"I-I'm so sorry; are you hurt?"

"Hey..." Her tone sounded softer now. "No, I'm... I'm okay. I'm good."

The man offered a hand and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. She was lovely. He gazed at her, and, for a moment, got caught in her eyes. They mimicked the blue of the ocean behind her. He gaped for a few more seconds before catching himself.

"Oh! Uh..." He stammered, trying to think of an excuse for his behavior. Trying... And failing. May as well introduce himself to the woman he's ogling. "Westergaard; Admiral. Admiral Westergaard. Or just..." His eyes locked with hers once more and his breath caught. "Hans."

Her hands flew to her face, in a sad attempt to hide a blush. "Nice to meet you, Westergaard Admiral Hans."

This earned her a chuckle from the man. "Please," he said with a small grin, "Just Hans."

"I'm-" First person you've met in years, she thought to herself, don't mess it up. "Princess... Anna. Princess Anna!"

Great.

Resisting the urge to slap herself in the face, she instead opted for a small curtsy.

Hans's ears perked at the mention of her name. "Princess?" He dropped to the ground and knelt before her. "My lady."

His fjord horse, Sitron, knelt too, and the boat began to tip backwards off of the dock, sending Hans sailing right into Anna and bowling her over.

Anna let out a yelp and then attempted a smile. "Hi... Again."

This caught Sitron's attention and he slammed his hoof down on the boat again, jolting it upright and causing Anna to flip right onto Hans.

Struggling to her feet and trying not to look like a tomato in a dress, Anna's words fell out. "This is awkward... Not... You're awkward, just... I'm awkward... You're gorgeous."

What did she just say? He must have misheard.

What did she just say? Anna's heart lept into her throat. "Wait, what?"

Hans once again helped Anna to her feet, then began, "I'd like to formally apologize for hitting the princess of Arendelle with my horse... And... For every moment after."

Anna moved to step out of the boat and save herself from further embarassment. "No, no! It's fine. I mean, I'm not _that_ princess, I mean, if you'd hit my sister Elsa, it'd be... _Yeesh_." She came nose to nose with the horse Hans had been on and tickled his chin. "Hello."

Hans turned to meet her gaze and she continued. "But! Lucky for you, it's... Just me."

He didn't understand. Did this shining young woman just call herself a 'just'?

"_Just_ you?" He asked, looking for verification.

"Yup," she answered. "Just me. Just me and 'Just Hans'." Anna gave a small smile.

In the distance, bells from some far-off churchtower began to toll, signaling the beginning of Elsa's coronation. Anna's eyes widened in realization.

"The bells... The coronation... I-" She backed away, right into a pole. "Ouch! I'd better go, I have to- I'd better go-"

Narrowly avoiding tripping over her own feet, Anna turned on her heel to sprint off, but not before a small "bye" in Hans's direction.

"Wait!" He called after her. "Will I see you there?"

Her voice echoed from around the corner. "Definitely!"

And she was gone. He felt a goofy grin spread across his face as he looked after her in bewilderment. He raised a hand in farewell to this girl, who had crashed out of his life almost as suddenly as she had crashed into it.

Sitron raised his hoof as well, sending Hans and the rowboat splashing down into the water below. 

* * *

Elsa's coronation went off without a hitch. Hans had found a seat in the third row of the chapel and waved at Anna when she spotted him. As the spectators departed, Hans remained where he was until they had all gone. Elsa had already made a grand exit during the ceremony, leaving just he and Anna.

"Hi... Again." Anna repeated her words from earlier and tucked a stray red hair behind her ear.

"Hi," Hans echoed, a smile starting. "I'm glad I've got you here for a moment. There's... Something I'd like to give you."

"Me? Give _me_? Are you sure you don't mean-"

Hans cut her off. "Elsa? No, Anna, it's for you."

"Oh, well I-" Anna looked down at her hands, tying her fingers in knots and feeling entirely unsure on what to say.

"It's very delicate, so I couldn't bring it with me. It's back on my ship." Hans reached up and bashfully slid his fingers into his hair. "I mean, I suppose I could just wait until the ball, which is what I was going to do, but I was hoping that maybe..."

This time, Anna silenced him. "The ball is still a few hours away... I've got some time..." Being coy wasn't exactly her thing, but Anna hoped she was coming off as something close to attractive.

Hans beamed. "Let's go, then. Come with me."

He unthinkingly grabbed Anna's hand and began to lead her, then thought better of it and let her go. He was surprised when he felt her fingers wiggle their way back into his.


	3. Chapter 3

"You don't sail this thing all by yourself, do you?" Anna asked. She picked up a sextant and peered into the looking glass. She wheeled around to look at Hans through it.

Hans gave a surprised snort when he caught her magnified eye through the lens. "No, of course not. My crew are probably off exploring Arendelle. They'll be at the ball later."

"Fair enough-" The hatrack in the corner of the cabin caught her eye and she tossed the sextant to the side. "WAIT. PLEASE TELL ME THAT'S _YOUR_ HAT."

Hans dove to save the sextant. Carefully placing it down on his desk, Hans followed Anna's gaze to the embroidered bicorn hat hanging on a hook. "Standard issue for Admirals in the Southern Isles Navy... Why?"

"It's... Just... I _have_ to try it on - I mean- may I try it on?"

In one swift stride, Hans was at the hatrack. He lifted the bicorn with deft fingers and brought it over to Anna, placing it on her head. It was so big on her tiny frame that Hans feared she might tip over with a slight gust of wind.

"There," he said. "Now you're ready to lead a batallion."

"Charge!" Anna shouted. She grabbed a nearby candlestick and pointed it at Hans.

"Woah, woah!" Hans snorted, barely able to contain his laughter. "I surrender!"

The two of them laughed together, Anna struggling to keep her balance and Hans clutching his sides. This girl had really been locked away for 13 years? Hans almost refused to take it as truth. She had far too much life; too much passion. Too much love.

"Oh! I forgot!" He exclaimed. "I still have to give you your gift! It's a Southern Isles tradition to present all members of the royal family with gifts upon a new coronation, and this is yours."

Boots clicking, he paced across the room to a cabinet, took out a key, and unlocked it. He reached inside and procured a small, round object. Turning back around, he placed it in Anna's hands. She brought the sphere up to her face and examined it. Perfectly round. Crystalline. It was almost like a large jewel.

"It's beautiful... What is it?"

"It's a snow globe. Very popular in France. Try shaking it."

Anna took his suggestion and was mesmerized when the glass sphere was filled with swirling flurries of small white sparkles. "It's... Snow. It's _snow!_" She exclaimed. She ran her fingers across the smooth surface, tracing the sparkling swirls and shifting patterns within.

"It's beautiful- Wait! I already said that." Anna held the globe and reconsidered. "It's... _Magical._ Thank you."

"It suits you." Hans smiled a bit. "A beautiful, magical gift for a beautiful, magical princess."

This caught Anna by surprise. She was so flustered, she nearly dropped the delicate orb she was holding. "M-me? No, no, I'm... I'm not... Well, I mean, I'm a _princess_, at least, but I'm not any of those other th-"

"Why do you do that?" Hans cut her off, voice tinged with sympathy. "Sell yourself short, I mean." He took the snow globe from her shaking hands and placed it safely on his desk. Turning back to Anna, his eyes met hers and searched for an answer. He continued. "You're amazing, and I really, truly mean that."

"But-"

"Shhh." His voice softened. "There you go again."

Anna sighed, and tried not to notice the closeness of the man's face. His red hair glowed like fire in the late sunlight from the back windows. "I guess..." She looked away. "I guess it's because, as long as I can remember, I've been... The spare."

Hans's voice was a whisper now. "The what?"

Anna shifted her gaze back to him. It may have been a trick of the light, but Hans could swear he could see the glitter of tears in her eyes.

"The spare," Anna repeated, a little louder. "Elsa's always been the heir, and I've always been the extra; the second princess. The unneeded one. Elsa was the perfect, smart, beautiful Crown Princess, and I'm the clumsy, lazy, ordinary spare. No one ever had the time of day for me because they were always too busy fawning over Elsa, grooming her for the throne. Even she didn't have time for me. For the last 13 years, I've only spoken to her twice. Elsa is my sister, my only family after my parents passed away, and even _she_ ignores me."

She could feel the tears beginning. Her hands flew to her face as she struggled to hide them. They came freely now, as years of frustration suddenly manifested themselves in watery trails down her cheeks.

"Anna, I..." Hans's mouth hung open as he searched for the right words. "I understand."

The girl peeked out between two fingers. "You- You do?"

"I do." Hans pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to her. Anna took it, and began to dab at her eyes.

He went on. "I know what it's like. To be ignored, anyway. I haven't told you this, but I come from a pretty big family."

Anna sniffed. "How big?"

"I have twelve older brothers and two younger sisters."

"That's... Wow."

"You're telling me. As the youngest brother, they all banded together to pick on me. Three of them pretended I was invisible, literally, for two years. And all of them had me convinced for years that I was a troll the family adopted."

A ghost of a smile began on Anna's face. "A troll? Really?"

Hans nodded, "Yup. They even made a blanket out of moss and told me it was what they found me in."

Anna found her smile and laughed. "No way!"

Returning the grin, Hans let out a chuckle. "Way. And you can imagine the pressure when one brother is a doctor, one married into an Earldom, another is on his way to being knighted, and another commands an entire brigade."

"Is that why you joined the navy?"

"Partly." Hans took Anna by the hand and led her to the windows that lined the back wall behind his desk. "Look out there," he said, gesturing towards the open sea. "What do you see?"

Anna wasn't sure how to answer. "Uh, water?" That didn't seem right. "Lots of water?" Still not it.

Charmed by this, Hans replied, "Well, yeah, _water_. Just water. Nothing else. No brothers to try and live up to, no one to torment you... Just water."

"I get it." Anna focused her gaze on Hans's distant, faraway face. She admired how sharp and focused his eyes were. "For you, it's... Freedom. Almost like today is for me."

His face was dusted with light freckles, Anna now noticed. With her eyes, she traced his sideburns, the curve of his nose. He was fixated on the ocean, and she was completely fixated on him. She moved a little closer. Her fingers brushed his on the windowsill and shocked them both out of their haze.

"Oh!" Hans exclaimed. "I, uh. I got lost a little bit there, didn't I? Sorry, Anna."

"It's..." She paused a moment to take in what had just happened. "Okay."

Hans turned to sit on the windowsill and motioned for Anna to join him. "I mean, that's not the only reason. I've always been a skilled swordsman, and my brother Silas was already a celebrated army officer. I wanted to do something different."

Anna put her hand on top of his and said, perhaps a little shyly, "I like different."

They stared at each other for a moment before Anna got a sly little grin on her face. "So, a skilled swordsman, huh? Pretty sure you surrended to my candlestick earlier, Mr. Navy!"

"I was ambushed!" Hans fought back.

"Uh-huh," Anna retorted, crossing her arms. "Gimme a real sword and you'd be running home to the Southern Isles!"

"Yeah, right!" Hans grinned. "Let's put that to the test."

The deck of the ship was a wide expanse of wooden planks; perfect for teaching. Broad and long, with nothing that could easily be destroyed by Anna's sharp blade.

"Okay, now, hold it it your hand like this." Hans put his hands over Anna's on the hilt of his sword, positioning her fingers. "Think of it as an extension of your arm."

Picking up a mop, Hans held it, almost comically, out to challenge Anna. "Now swing!"

Anna swung. Hard. She completely missed anything, and ended up spinning around, the weight of the sword taking her small form along with it.

"Good first attempt," Hans laughed. "A little less enthusiasm. Ha!" He swung his mop towards her, and she blocked. "Fantastic!"

Hans span away and climbed the mast a few feet. "Your enemy has the high ground! What are you gonna do?"

"JUMP!" Anna shouted, giggles bursting from her mouth.

"No, no!" Hans could barely contain his laughter. "We'll save jumping with sharp objects for another lesson. The correct response is to wait until they move, then catch them by surprise." He stepped down and attempted to straighten his jacket, completely askew from all the excitement.

"SURPRISE!" Anna jumped up behind Hans, causing him to lose his balance and almost teeter off the side of the ship before she grabbed him. "Gotcha!"

Hans attempted another swing of his mop, but Anna quickly brought her sword up to meet it.

"It seems we are evenly matched, my lady."

They breathed hard from exertion. The sun was almost gone now, and the beginnings of cool night air blew across their sweaty faces. Anna panted and brushed a bit of unruly hair behind her ear. All of it was unruly by now though, she was sure. She blushed when she saw that Hans wasn't looking away from her, and found that she couldn't look away, either. His face was coming closer. Or was it? Was it? It was. Was he going to kiss her? No. He wasn't. _Yes he was. _

Anna's eyes were nearly closed when she caught something out of the corner of them. It was Kai, standing on the docks, looking at them intently. She could tell by the way he held his hat in his hands that he was apologetic for interrupting. But why was he-

The ball.

The ball was starting! Spare or not, Princess Anna was expected to arrive when Queen Elsa did.

She spun around to Hans and handed him back his sword. "I have to go- Again. Sorry," she squeaked. "Find me at the ball!"

And with that, Anna bounded down the gangplank and disappeared with the manservant, leaving Hans to once again wonder at this energetic, if slightly awkward, girl.


End file.
